The scoreboard did not yet indicate that anything was awry, but even as Novak Djokovic led by a set in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open, he was already struggling badly. From the second set onwards, he spent much of his time between points squatting and bending over as he desperately tried to catch his breath in the notorious Ohioan humidity. He was eventually dispatched 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Thiago Agustín Tirante of Argentina, who took this golden opportunity to register the biggest win of his career.
After more than a decade of dominating his sport regardless of terrain, early losses for Djokovic at the non-slam events have become increasingly familiar. The 39-year-old has long insisted that, at such an advanced age, the grand slam tournaments and Olympics are his priority. His results have reflected this reality.
While Djokovic reached the Australian Open final and he returned to the semi-final of Wimbledon last month, this was just his third non-grand slam tournament of the season. He has failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of those tournaments, compiling a 2-3 record across his appearances at Indian Wells, Rome and Cincinnati. Early on, Djokovic seemed to be well on his way to a straightforward win as he rolled through the opening set without a problem.
However, he began to wilt in the humidity from early in the second set. He called for the physio and doctor while leading 6-2, 2-1, where he vomited into a towel before having his blood pressure checked. He continued to move at half-speed for most of the match.
The 25-year-old Argentinian is one of the biggest servers in the world, and he used his serve and potent forehand well to force an already uncomfortable Djokovic behind the baseline before closing out a victory. Incredibly, the world No 50 now holds a 4-1 record against top 10 opponents. After his defeat, Djokovic walked directly from the court to his media conference, where he briefly explained his struggles with humidity.
And a lot of issues, especially when it’s humid and hot. Yeah.” Djokovic said he had anticipated a difficult day but tension and pressure of matchplay had naturally made things worse. So that’s what happened.” Asked if he believes he will return to Cincinnati, Djokovic responded: “I certainly hope so, but it looks more likely not, unfortunately.
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